Brandwave

How popular isJohn Lewis?

In September 2026, people searched for John Lewis by name about 2.8 million times in the United Kingdom, an 18.2% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 23.6% of all United Kingdom department store searches, placing John Lewis second out of eight stores. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about department stores, John Lewis appeared in three of the four answers and was the third most recommended of the eight.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

John Lewis is the second most searched of 8 competitors and the third most recommended in AI answers.

  1. M&SShare of searches 47.3%Mentioned in 0 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  2. John LewisShare of searches 23.6%Mentioned in 3 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  3. HarrodsShare of searches 8.6%Mentioned in 4 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  4. SelfridgesShare of searches 8.6%Mentioned in 4 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  5. DebenhamsShare of searches 7.1%Mentioned in 0 of 4 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –

+3 more

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Top department stores in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, John Lewis was mentioned in three out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in the Google AI Overview. John Lewis is the third most recommended of the eight.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Harrods1st
  2. Selfridges2nd
  3. John Lewis3rd
  4. Liberty London4th
  5. Harvey Nichols5th
  6. M&S–
  7. Debenhams–
  8. House of Fraser–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Harrods4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Selfridges4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • John Lewis3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Liberty London3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Harvey Nichols2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • M&S0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Debenhams0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • House of Fraser0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers

See every answer about department stores

4 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 22, 2026.

Which department stores compete with John Lewis?

John Lewis against department stores in the United Kingdom, by month

Share of searches by month for M&S, John Lewis, Harrods, Selfridges, Debenhams, Liberty London. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthM&SJohn LewisHarrodsSelfridgesDebenhamsLiberty LondonHouse of FraserHarvey Nichols
Oct 202543.9%24.1%8.8%8.8%8.8%1.8%2.7%1.2%
Nov 202539.9%26.8%8%9.8%9.8%2%2.4%1.3%
Dec 202539.6%24.2%10.9%10.9%8.9%2.2%2.2%1.2%
Jan 202642.4%25.9%7.7%9.4%9.4%1.6%2.3%1.3%
Feb 202644.6%22.3%8.2%10%10%1.6%2%1.3%
Mar 202646.6%23.3%8.5%8.5%8.5%1.7%1.7%1.1%
Apr 202643.7%21.8%9.7%9.7%9.7%2%2%1.3%
May 202645.5%22.7%10.1%8.3%8.3%2%1.7%1.4%
Jun 202639.6%24.2%10.8%10.8%8.8%2.2%1.8%1.8%
Jul 202639.9%24.4%10.9%10.9%8.9%2.2%1.5%1.5%
Aug 202645%22.5%10%10%6.8%2%1.7%2%
Sep 202647.3%23.6%8.6%8.6%7.1%2.1%1.4%1.2%

  1. 1.M&S

    47.3%

    Held 1st. 5.5M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +2.3 points.

  2. 2.John Lewis

    23.6%

    Held 2nd. 2.7M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +1.1 points.

  3. 3.Harrods

    8.6%

    Held 3rd. 1M estimated branded searches, -18% vs prior month. Share -1.4 points.

  4. 4.Selfridges

    8.6%

    Held 4th. 1M estimated branded searches, -18% vs prior month. Share -1.4 points.

  5. 5.Debenhams

    7.1%

    Held 5th. 823K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.3 points.

  6. 6.Liberty London

    2.1%

    Moved from 7th to 6th. 246K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.

  7. 7.House of Fraser

    1.4%

    Moved from 8th to 7th. 165K estimated branded searches, -17.9% vs prior month. Share -0.2 points.

  8. 8.Harvey Nichols

    1.2%

    Moved from 6th to 8th. 135K estimated branded searches, -45.1% vs prior month. Share -0.9 points.

Compare popularity between John Lewis and its closest rivals

Every comparison with John Lewis

31 comparisons

How has branded search demand for John Lewis changed in the United Kingdom over the last 12 months?

2 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for John Lewis in the United Kingdom fell from 3.4M to 2.8M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, John Lewis’ share of searches among department stores in the United Kingdom peaked at 26.8% in November 2025 and was lowest at 21.8% in April 2026.

How did search popularity change for United Kingdom department stores in September 2026?

6 changes

  1. In September 2026, M&S gained share of searches among department stores in the United Kingdom, from 45% to 47.3%.

  2. In September 2026, John Lewis gained share of searches among department stores in the United Kingdom, from 22.5% to 23.6%.

  3. In September 2026, Harrods lost share of searches among department stores in the United Kingdom, from 10% to 8.6%.

  4. In September 2026, Selfridges lost share of searches among department stores in the United Kingdom, from 10% to 8.6%.

  5. In September 2026, Harvey Nichols lost share of searches among department stores in the United Kingdom, from 2% to 1.2%.

  6. In September 2026, House of Fraser rose from 8th to 7th among department stores in the United Kingdom.

How are John Lewis’ branded searches counted?

4 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using John Lewis’ name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • john lewis
  • john lewis beds
  • john lewis furniture
  • john lewis home

Do you work for John Lewis? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Where does John Lewis compete?

John Lewis is ranked in five competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
Electronics retailers4th of 66.8%Show ranking
Department stores2nd of 823.6%Shown above
Homeware retailers9th of 90.04%Show ranking
Furniture retailers10th of 110.1%Show ranking
Bed retailers5th of 74.2%Show ranking
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